Son: 'No hate' after mom's body found in Ohio tree

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 32-year-old Tina Herrmann. Authorities were searching for Herrmann, her two children and a female friend in an investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where the woman's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES
— AP

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 32-year-old Tina Herrmann. Authorities were searching for Herrmann, her two children and a female friend in an investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where the woman's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES
/ AP

A sheriff's deputy directs traffic away from one of the entrances to Kokosing Lake where three bodies were found while talking with a local resident Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Fredericktown, Ohio. Three people who vanished from a blood-spattered home more than a week ago were found dead inside a hollow tree Thursday, days after the teenage daughter of one of the victims was rescued _ bound and gagged _ from the basement of an ex-convict who worked as a tree-trimmer. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)— AP

A sheriff's deputy directs traffic away from one of the entrances to Kokosing Lake where three bodies were found while talking with a local resident Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Fredericktown, Ohio. Three people who vanished from a blood-spattered home more than a week ago were found dead inside a hollow tree Thursday, days after the teenage daughter of one of the victims was rescued _ bound and gagged _ from the basement of an ex-convict who worked as a tree-trimmer. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
/ AP

A sheriff's deputy guards one of the entrances to Kokosing Lake where three bodies were found Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Fredericktown, Ohio. Three people who vanished from a blood-spattered home more than a week ago were found dead inside a hollow tree Thursday, days after the teenage daughter of one of the victims was rescued _ bound and gagged _ from the basement of an ex-convict who worked as a tree-trimmer. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)— AP

A sheriff's deputy guards one of the entrances to Kokosing Lake where three bodies were found Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Fredericktown, Ohio. Three people who vanished from a blood-spattered home more than a week ago were found dead inside a hollow tree Thursday, days after the teenage daughter of one of the victims was rescued _ bound and gagged _ from the basement of an ex-convict who worked as a tree-trimmer. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
/ AP

In this undated photo provided by the Routt County Sheriffs Office, Matthew Hoffman is shown. Knox County Sheriff David Barber said Maynard, a 13-year-old girl missing for days was found bound and gagged but alive in a basement Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, and authorities hoped Hoffman charged with kidnapping her might lead them to her mother, brother and another woman who disappeared with her. (AP Photo/Routt County Sheriffs Office)— AP

In this undated photo provided by the Routt County Sheriffs Office, Matthew Hoffman is shown. Knox County Sheriff David Barber said Maynard, a 13-year-old girl missing for days was found bound and gagged but alive in a basement Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, and authorities hoped Hoffman charged with kidnapping her might lead them to her mother, brother and another woman who disappeared with her. (AP Photo/Routt County Sheriffs Office)
/ AP

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 13-year-old Sarah Maynard. Authorities were searching for Maynard and other members of her family, including her mother, brother and a female friend in an Ohio investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where her mother's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES— AP

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 13-year-old Sarah Maynard. Authorities were searching for Maynard and other members of her family, including her mother, brother and a female friend in an Ohio investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where her mother's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES
/ AP

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 10-year-old Kody Maynard. Authorities were searching for Maynard and other members of his family, including his mother, sister and a female friend in an Ohio investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where his mother's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES— AP

This undated family photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows 10-year-old Kody Maynard. Authorities were searching for Maynard and other members of his family, including his mother, sister and a female friend in an Ohio investigation that prompted an overnight lockdown on the campus of Kenyon College, where his mother's pickup truck was found nearby, a sheriff said Friday. The children's father said blood was discovered in the mother's home. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES
/ AP

This undated photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows Stephanie Sprang. Blood was found in the home of a missing woman and her two children, whose disappearance along with her friend led to a lockdown at a collage near where her pickup truck was spotted, a sheriff said Friday. Authorities were searching for 32-year-old Tina Herrmann, her 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, her 10-year-old son, Kody Maynard, and their 41-year-old friend, Stephanie Sprang. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES— AP

This undated photo provided by WBNS-10TV on Friday, Nov. 12, 2010, shows Stephanie Sprang. Blood was found in the home of a missing woman and her two children, whose disappearance along with her friend led to a lockdown at a collage near where her pickup truck was spotted, a sheriff said Friday. Authorities were searching for 32-year-old Tina Herrmann, her 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, her 10-year-old son, Kody Maynard, and their 41-year-old friend, Stephanie Sprang. (AP Photo/WBNS-10TV) NO SALES
/ AP

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio 
An Ohio man says he has "no hate towards anybody" following the discovery of his mother's remains in a hollowed-out tree.

Michael Kupiec told WBNS-TV on Friday he's eager for investigators to tell his family more information about what happened to his 41-year-old mother, Stephanie Sprang.

Sprang, her friend Tina Herrmann and Herrmann's 11-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter disappeared more than a week ago from Herrmann's blood-spattered home in Howard in central Ohio. The remains of Sprang, Herrmann and Herrmann's son were found in garbage bags in a tree in a wildlife preserve about a 20-mile drive away.

Authorities say an unemployed tree-trimmer who spent six years in a Colorado prison led them to the bodies after they found Herrmann's daughter alive in his basement in Mount Vernon.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (AP) - The first indication that something had gone terribly wrong in this tiny Ohio town came when a Dairy Queen manager went to check on a friend who didn't show up for work.

The manager, Valerie Haythorn, told The Associated Press on Friday that when she drove by last week, the lights were on at the home where Tina Herrmann lived with her two children. Herrmann's truck also was in the driveway and, thinking all was well, Haythorn kept driving.

When Herrmann missed a second day, Haythorn drove back to the house - and this time she went inside.

Haythorn said she climbed in the back window because the front door was locked. Once inside, she discovered a significant amount of blood.

"It was enough blood there that I knew there was a problem," she said. "Nobody cut their finger in that house."

Haythorn immediately called authorities. The search for four missing people began in earnest after her Nov. 11 visit.

Three days later, Herrmann's 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, was found bound and gagged - but alive - in the basement of a home. On Thursday, the search reached a tragic end when authorities found the bodies of Herrmann; her 11-year-old son, Cody; and her 41-year-old friend, Stephanie Sprang, stuffed into garbage bags and hidden in a hollow tree.

Gary Ludwig, a supervisor with Ohio's Division of Wildlife, said wildlife staff on Friday cut down the tree. He said Knox County authorities wanted to remove it out of respect for the family, and so that it wouldn't become "a sightseeing thing."

Knox County Sheriff David Barber said investigators were led to the bodies by Matthew Hoffman, an unemployed tree-trimmer accused of kidnapping the girl and keeping her for nearly four days in the basement of his home in Mount Vernon, about 40 miles northeast of Columbus.

It was unclear how the three others died - or how someone managed to put their bodies inside the hollow tree. Autopsies were being conducted Friday, and the county coroner said the results were expected Saturday.

Barber said all three were killed in Herrmann's home in Howard, though he did not say how. Hoffman gave investigators information through his attorney that led them to the bodies, which were removed after part of the tree was cut away, Barber said.